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EPA and Representatives of Local Governments from Puerto Rico Meet in New York City to Discuss Environmental Challenges in Puerto Rico High Asthma Rates, Recycling and Pollution Prevention Among Issues Discussed

(New York, N.Y.) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck met on Thursday, June 7, 2012 in New York City with representatives of local governments from Puerto Rico to discuss environmental challenges facing municipal governments in Puerto Rico, and explore solutions. The municipal and federal officials pledged to work together to reduce pollution, increase recycling and promote environmental stewardship on the island. The environmental problems in Puerto Rico include a high asthma rate, a solid waste crisis and abandoned and potentially contaminated sites that threaten people’s health and prevent redevelopment in many communities.

Attending the meeting were Reinaldo Paniagua, the Executive Director of the Federation of Mayors; Jaime Garcia, the Executive Director of the Association of Mayors; John Santana, the Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration; Rose Mary Arizmendi Figueroa, Director of Public Works, Municipality of Guayama; Basilio de Jesus and William Arroyo from the Federation of Mayors and Francis Torres, Environmental Counsel to both the Federation of Mayors and the Association of Mayors.

“There are many environmental health problems in Puerto Rico that need attention,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “The island has the highest asthma rate in the nation. There are serious problems with drinking water quality, sewage treatment and waste disposal. At the meeting, the EPA reaffirmed our commitment to work closely with local officials to find solutions to environmental problems that will improve the lives of people throughout the island.”

The prevalence of asthma in the U.S. is 7.9 percent among Hispanic children, but that rate is 16.5 percent among children in Puerto Rico. The annual economic cost of asthma, including direct medical costs from hospital stays and indirect costs such as lost school and work days, amounts to approximately $56 billion. Last month, the EPA joined other federal agencies to unveil the Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities. Among the key steps in the action plan is building local capacity to deliver integrated, community-based asthma care systems.

In April 2012, the EPA announced $100,000 in funding to assess the need for a new, independent Children’s Environmental Health Center in Puerto Rico. Through the funding, the Mount Sinai Medical Center and the University of Puerto Rico are working with a number of Commonwealth organizations, community groups and universities, as well as other federal agencies to explore the formation of the children’s health center.

In May 2012, the EPA provided $1 million for Desarrollo Integral del Sur, Inc., an organization representing a coalition of Puerto Rico municipalities, for the assessment of abandoned and contaminated sites in Guayanilla, Peñuelas and Ponce. The funding was awarded through the EPA’s Brownfields Program, which helps communities assess, clean up, redevelop, and reuse contaminated properties. Brownfields are properties at which moderate contamination threatens environmental quality and public health and can interfere with redevelopment.

It is estimated that the overall recycling rate for the island is 8-12 percent, with specific rates varying by material. To help address this pressing issue, the EPA and the Solid Waste Management Authority launched the Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership with representatives from local municipalities, academia, non-profit and business sectors to facilitate waste reduction and recycling in the Commonwealth. The partnership is advancing waste reduction, recycling, and clean composting while bringing recycling jobs to Puerto Rico.